Man Charged In 5 Robberies, Including Brick 7-Eleven: Police

BRICK, NJ — A January convenience store robbery in Brick Township is one of five that police say were committed by a Howell Township man, who's now being held in jail.

Luis Claudio, 35, of Howell, was arrested April 5 in Lakewood, Brick Township Police Sgt. James Kelly said. He was taken into custody on a warrant out of Brick, Kelly said.

That warrant, however, was unrelated to the incident that happened in the early hours of Jan. 5, where a man — whom police allege was Claudio — robbed the 7-Eleven at 856 Route 70. Police allege Claudio took a Snapple from the cooler and approached the counter, where he told the clerk he had a gun and demanded money. He kept his right arm concealed in his jacket during the incident, Kelly said. He managed to grab some cash from the clerk’s hand because the register was open, and left with an undisclosed amount of proceeds. The man was believed to have left the area on foot, Kelly said.

Brick Township Detectives Joseph Leskowski and Thomas Cooney charged Claudio with robbery in the case on Friday, Kelly said.

Kelly said a cooperative investigation effort with detectives from Toms River, Lakewood, and Berkeley townships led to Claudio being charged with five counts of robbery and multiple weapons offenses.

Berkeley Township Police Chief Karin DiMichele said her officers assisted in the case but none of the robberies occurred in Berkeley.

Jillian Messina, media specialist for the Toms River Police Department, said details on the Toms River portion of the investigation would be released later Thursday.

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